After a weekend of around-the-clock negotiations,
representatives of MLB's owners and players appeared close to
final resolution on a new collective bargaining agreement, two
years to the day from the calling of the strike that nearly
destroyed the sport. According to ESPN, talks were to resume
this morning with agreement reached on several major issues
("SportsCenter," 8/11).
WHERE THEY STAND: USA TODAY's Hal Bodley notes lost service
time from the '94-95 strike and the length of the contract remain
the "sticking points," as of late last night (USA TODAY, 8/12).
Randy Levine, MLB's chief negotiator, told ESPN's Karl Ravech
last night that he was "encouraged." Ravech said one MLBPA
official told him, "Much of the brush has been cleared away,
though some of the tall trees still remain" ("Baseball Tonight,"
8/11). Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner is betting on a
settlement "sometime this week" (Jayson Stark, PHILA. INQUIRER,
8/12). But the N.Y. TIMES' Murray Chass reports Levine "might be
encountering problems selling a deal to some of his employers."
Without citing specific objections, Chass speculates on service
time. One management source said, while Levine "had no problem"
with the idea of granting service time, "he would have to get
something back from the union to be able to sell it to the hard-
line owners" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/12).
HOW THEY GOT THERE: In L.A., Ross Newhan cites a source who
said that MLBPA Exec Dir Don Fehr, "suspecting it would be
difficult to get player support for another strike if owners
successfully lifted the injunction and implemented their own work
rules," called Levine on Friday and said, "Enough is enough with
the threats, we're ready to move if you're ready to respond"
(L.A. TIMES, 8/11).
ON-THE-RECORD: Acting MLB Commissioner Bud Selig: "No one
should think this is going to be over in an hour or two or three.
That is clearly not the case." Fehr: "What's clear is that the
differences are getting narrower than they have been and progress
is being made" (USA TODAY, 8/12).
OFF-THE-RECORD: One "highly placed source" with knowledge
of the talks: "Anybody concluding that it's a done deal would be
wrong. It ought to be, but it isn't. There's some self-interest
involved" (Jayson Stark, PHILA. INQUIRER, 8/12). One management
source: "It's close. ... [But] once you get down to the end,
you've got to solve the toughest issues, and sometimes it takes a
little while" (Mark Maske, WASHINGTON POST, 8/12).
MEDIA REAX: In Philadelphia, Jayson Stark: "This deal has
to be made in such a way that these two sides can work together
constructively afterward to undo the damage they have done. ...
This baseball Cold War of the last 25 years has to stop" (PHILA.
INQUIRER, 8/11). Bill Conlin: "Finally, the madness is about to
end. The Greg Murphys of the world can begin sifting through the
rubble, searching for a place to start the rebuilding of a
professional sports wasteland" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 8/12). In
Chicago, Dave Van Dyck: "Having some sort of deadline before a
second Armageddon seemed to spur both sides into more serious
talk" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/11). In Baltimore, Buster Olney
writes all involved should be congratulated should they get a
deal. Then -- with the exception of Levine -- "they should all
step back or step down" (Baltimore SUN, 8/11). USA TODAY's Hal
Bodley: "The time has come to get a deal, even if it meant the
union had to compromise more than it ever has" (USA TODAY, 8/12).
In Atlanta, I.J. Rosenberg: "A minority of the owners feel their
side is caving in again to the union, which will lead to more
labor unrest in the future" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 8/12).
